Of Friends and Family
by Alu In Chains
Summary: "Sylvia Schneider had never been one for forgiveness. Ever. It was one of those things that made her uneasy. Hell, she couldn't even say the word without stumbling like her throat had gone dry." Based off of DxC's trilogy of Angela's Pet Monster, inspired by thebigcrunchone9's series of Monster Hunters. Rated T for some choice words.


_**A/N:** Hi guys! I know I have a bunch of other stories going right now but I just couldn't get this oneshot out any other way. Now before we get started, let me note a few things._

_FIRSTLY: This story is solely based on _**DarkraixCresselia**_'s universe of _Angela's Pet Monster_, including all of the characters. Thank you very much for letting me write this fandom for your trilogy! :) If you haven't read the _APM_ series, go do so now. Trust me, it's gooood!  
_

_SECONDLY: This story didn't come to mind until I read _**thebigcrunchone9**_'s series of _Monster Hunters_, which is also really good! So based off of _APM_, inspired by _MH_. Got it? Good.  
_

_THIRDLY, FOURTHLY, AND FIFTHLY: Wasn't quite sure what to name this. Not even sure if the tital fits. Also, I don't own ANYTHING in this story. None of the characters, not Monsters Inc. in general, nothin'. Which is a first, usually when I write something I at least own a little bit of it. But nope! Everyone and everything in this story is not mine. :)  
_

_That's about it, enjoy!  
_

* * *

Sylvia Schneider had never been one for forgiveness. Ever. It was one of those things that made her uneasy. Hell, she couldn't even say the word without stumbling like her throat had gone dry. There just wasn't any in her, never was, never will be. If you did something that made her mad, she'll get back at you for it, and you'd avoid her from then on. A year at the institution had taught her that wasn't always the case. The wolf-like creature had, after some strain, forgiven anyone who had done her wrong.

Now all she had to do was get _them_ to forgive _her_.

Despite her beliefs when she was first placed in the institution, she had never acted upon them. At first there were monsters that agreed with her when she planned more revenge, but nothing further was done. She talked and planned and a couple of times she had tried to escape. They didn't help her. Reality had started to hit the volatile monster like football players trying to get the ball from her. It was just too much.

The _friends_ that she had made started to seem increasingly off the more she was around them. They weren't the sane type and at first she didn't think it effected how they treated her. In just a few months her companions had slowly started to forget what she was. To them, she wasn't some misunderstood woman like she had tried to play off. She was one of them, one of the crazies, one of the monsters who had done things only for themselves. The group didn't treat her like she was something special, they treated her like she was new.

When she wasn't new anymore, she just there; simply existed with the rest of them.

Long nights alone with no strange men didn't bother her so much. Long nights alone with no mirrors or makeup to insure that she was still pretty drove her crazy. Long nights alone...with more than enough time to think about her entire life drained the rest of her sanity. What things she had done from birth to just recently that landed her with the crazies. The actions she took to get what she wanted that ultimately sealed her fate here forever. Thoughts of getting out and killing Randall had slowly morphed into thoughts of where she had gone wrong. The more the winged monster mulled it over the more she came to the conclusion that she shouldn't be here. No, not here with the wack-o's. Sylvia should be in _jail. _In sheer jealousy she had come to threatening a _pregnant_ dog. How could she have gone so mad?

There would be a small part of her that always had it out for the world. That little voice in the back of her head, telling her to do awful things, would never completely disappear. The question was: would she keep listening to it? Eventually she had decided to get help outside of her own mind. A therapist worked for the institution and he had agreed to talk to Sylvia a few nights a week. Days before the first session, she had tried figuring out why she had done the things she did. What had made her go so nuts? Some time after thinking had brought her to the conclusion that Sylvia simply wanted attention. That had to be it, right?

"_You're right, Sylvia. You aren't crazy; you're on the right track. But you've got it all wrong,_" the councilor told her in the first session. How could she have it all wrong? What wasn't she getting? Teeth-grinding frustration twisted her mind over and over. Each time coming up with the same thought process: She did those horrible things because she wanted attention. Sylvia knew what she wanted! How can that _shrink_ think that she was wrong? The anger that had made her blood boil only made her more on edge. More often than not Sylvia was angry about something. With nothing to take her anger out on, there were few chances she ever had to lash out.

Every two weeks her nails were trimmed and every four weeks her wings were clipped. Nothing could be done about her gland because it would never grow back like her damn tonsils would. As always, Sylvia was completely restrained during these procedures. After visiting the therapist and receiving no help, the restraints had doubled. For no reason, the same nurse that performed these procedures had become her personal target. With nothing else to use for a punching bag, the violent creature always thrashed against her restraints. Giving this girl a hard time had always seemed a priority. The things Sylvia said to her each time were nasty insults worthy of making a teenager hang themselves. This one, however, looked her dead in the eye and gave her the last thing Sylvia ever wanted. _Sympathy_.

Torn between shock and anger at the girl's audacity, the monster had stared at her agape. She spat in her face, never sat still for the procedures, and smacked her in the head with her wings when she could. And this broad still felt _sorry _for her. The only thing sicker than that was the lovely shade of green Sylvia turned. Slightly envious of her ability to simply _not care_, it became a personal goal to try and set her off.

Months go by and she's still frustrated with the therapist. Still wrong, don't know the answers. Everything she came up with wasn't right but she was still on _the right track_. The girl was trimming her nails while Sylvia tried pulling her arm back. Still severely restrained, the winged wolf had lost most fight in her. There were a few times she had tried to wear the girl down and break out. Somehow this young one had more fire in her than anyone is giving her credit for. By the end of her time in the institution Sylvia had found to admire that about her. Finally having enough of her problems falling on deaf ears, she eventually found herself spilling her guts out to the girl. She would nod while trimming, making sure not to quick the nails. The girl listened quietly while clipping her wings and would then pretend to take longer just to hear the monster out.

"_Here's my suggestion, and it's the only one I'll make,_" she said, finishing the wings and coming to stand before Sylvia, _"Go to the group therapies they have at least once. Hear the stories some of those monsters tell. Maybe you'll find what you're looking for._"

She did just that.

The group therapy had an effect on her she'd never expected. She sat amongst a ring of monsters, most of which were females around her age. Being the only one with two sets of arms crossed over her chest and a scowl that twisted her muzzle, the monster simply sat back and listened. By the time they had went around the circle and reached her she felt like she'd had enough. The same therapist who she had been seeing led the group therapy; his six eyes adorned with thick glasses lit up when he finally came to her. She passed. Three monsters over was a creature that resembled Waternoose. Though she was a lot thinner and younger, the wolf-monster did not hesitate to begin glaring daggers at her.

_"My name is Jamie. I'm 28."_

The therapist had asked her why she was here.

_"I'm...I'm here because I lost my daughter. She...she was murdered. And…I killed the monster that did it."_

Tragic stories were passed back and forth while Sylvia was mentally present. Nothing hit closer to home than Jamie's. Being a mother herself, simply hearing it made her stomach churn. Without even thinking, her face had contorted in rage. Threatening to snarl, she asked before she could stop herself: _"Who did it?"_

Jamie visibly jumped, not realizing that any of the listeners would react that way. For a moment everything was completely silent. The only sound was the chairs on either side of Sylvia scooting away as the monsters sitting on them became terrified. Sylvia calmed herself rather forcefully while telling herself that something like that would _never _happen to her own son.

_It better not_.

Shoulders shaking, and green eyes crystalizing with tears threatening to come forth, Jamie wrapped her arms around herself. She became resigned and refused to look at anyone. The others pretended not to hear her answer but Silvia's ears picked it up easily.

_"My husband."_

After the group therapy, Sylvia was sent back to her room. Jamie's sob story didn't make her feel sorry for anyone, but it opened up a new chain of thought. If anything ever happened to her son, the volatile monster would surely rip through anyone who had the audacity to mess with her kin. From that point her thoughts molded into thoughts of her son, period. She wasn't the one who named him. What did everyone call him? Does he play sports? Can he speak in full sentences yet? What was his first step like? Did he fall and cry, or keep walking like the champ she imagined him to be? One inquisitive image had her choking on her own tears.

Would he know who she was, if she ever got out of here? Henkan and Randall's family had surely convinced him that his mother was a terrible person. For not being able to watch him grow up, Sylvia had to agree. No child should have to go through with growing up without its mother. Not if she could do anything about it. Suddenly things started to make sense. Sylvia didn't just want _attention_. She wanted a family! The monster was alone and tried to make everyone else feel the same so that she wouldn't be.

At that point she swore and promised, for the sake of her son, she was going to get out of there. Even if _Henkan_ and _Randall_ wouldn't like it, she wasn't doing that for them. Her baby needed her, she was sure! No matter what it took, he was going to see his mommy again. She was going to have her family. Sylvia was _going to watch him grow up_.

The group therapy had helped her find what she needed to get out. Sylvia had undergone more months of frustration while trying to sign out, eventually getting an early admission for good behavior. Along with that, she also had to prove her recovery in court thanks to the institution's help. Attempting not to scoff out loud at their so-called 'help', she complied. The siren of a monster had no trouble convincing the men in the courtroom that she had recovered. All the while she asked herself mentally: _Recovered from _what_?_

As of now Sylvia was in the human world; the first place she had gone after signing out of the institution. Firstly it was to see her son, who had been named Yoshiro. Having nothing to do with naming him, she saw no problem with it. If she were the same monster before the institution, she would probably cringe. However, Yoshiro fitted him better than anything she could have ever come up with.

Henkan had received word of Sylvia's returning before she could pop in unannounced. When she reached the address of his new home, the father of her child was already waiting for her. The look on his face was unreadable and expressionless. The criminal on the other hand couldn't keep from bawling her eyes out. Standing behind his father, Yoshi peered out from his hiding spot. Upon seeing the strange female something in his mind had clicked.

_"M...Mom?"_

Oh my god, he could talk. Could he speak full sentences yet? Oh _my god_ he knew who she was! It didn't matter if Henkan had told him who she was beforehand, or if Yoshi had remembered all on his own. What mattered was that she got to see her son now. Yoshi's question had broken the dam that held back her tears. Almost thankful that she wasn't wearing makeup, Sylvia fell on her knees and held two sets of arms out. Yoshi, for once, didn't look to his father for permission. He ran straight toward his mother and practically tackled her backwards.

"_Mom!"_

Henkan didn't say anything, but he stayed close. His presence was ignored while Sylvia and Yoshi sat across from each other in Mary's backyard. Her child was absolutely perfect! He could speak full sentences, he loved to run, and he played outside with his cousins almost every day. His favorite color was blue, he wants to learn how to play soccer, and every now and then he loved to color. Nothing could hold in her excitement. Sylvia's tail thumped on the ground repeatedly and after some time Yoshi had tried to attack it. Unfamiliar with what he was doing, Sylvia backed away completely confused. She glared at Henkan for snickering.

"_He's trying to play_," he had explained.

Sylvia had never _played_ before. She wasn't sure what to do. Henkan chose that moment to interrupt, and picked Yoshi up off the ground. He explained to their child that they would be leaving for the park soon. Suddenly more excited than before, the youngling jumped from his father's arms and ran back to the house to get ready.

Now alone to face her ex, Sylvia wasn't sure what to say. Henkan had apparently been just as stumped, for he avoided eye contact and scratched the back of his neck. After an awkward silence that made the wolf-creature want to die, Randall's cousin finally spoke. Admittedly it was kind of cute the way he turned a darker shade of green, fumbling for the right words. All in all, he had invited her to go to the park with them. Her jaw had dropped; she was stunned. There was absolutely no way she was going to say yes. Randall's family was more than likely going to meet them there and that would start more drama than it was worth. About to refuse the offer, Yoshi had come back to ask Sylvia if she tag along.

Put on the spot with Yoshi's pleading gaze and Henkan's soft smile, Sylvia sighed.

And now she was here, in the most awkward position she'd ever been in.

She couldn't complain about the weather. The Gibbs had picked a wonderful day to go outside. Early afternoon light illuminated the spring air in a way that made the park seem surreal. There was only one thing that the ex-convict could complain about.

Past feelings about Randall and his family reared their ugly heads by the hundreds. For the first few minutes all the winged wolf could do was take deep breaths and bite her tongue until it bled. She didn't anticipate wanting to kill them all over again at first. Attempts of calming herself and repeating a mantra that she had forgiven them had resulted in an emotionally exhausted wolf monster. The rollercoaster of her emotions had taken a sharp turn when the boys concluded that they wanted to play a game.

As with her son, Sylvia had no idea what to do. She was gracefully forced to sit this one out when Randall gave her a stern look that said 'no.' It was understandable; it will be a while before any of them wanted her around. That is, if she decided to stay around. Angela couldn't join in, she was already occupied blowing bubbles with Mary, who Sylvia had come to realize was Henkan's owner. Sitting on the sidelines and watching her son play wasn't bad at all. In fact it would have been better…if Lucy had picked somewhere else to sit.

Randall's mate had taken it upon herself to park under the same tree as Sylvia, despite the other places where she could have found shade. The saluki seemed to have chosen that spot on purpose. For a good amount of time, Sylvia could _feel_ the hatred radiating in waves from the dog's petite body. If looks could kill, Sylvia surely would have died, resuscitated, and died again. After some time she was sure her achromatic fur had started to smoke under the other's smoldering gaze.

Lucy finally looked away and watched Randall and Henkan play with their children. A weight that rivaled humpback whales was lifted from Sylvia's shoulders. Now able to breathe again, she settled for watching Yoshi try to tackle one of Lucy's children. Despite the hostility she was rightfully receiving, the white wolf was thankful. She was glad they didn't treat Yoshi the same way simply because of who his mother was. However she still questioned their hatred for her to some extent. It was well deserved and she understood that. Sylvia just couldn't quite name more than a few things she had done to really set them off.

"I see you've stopped wearing makeup."

_Holy sh…_ Sylvia jumped. Lucy raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the reaction she'd gotten out of Randall's ex. The wolf forcibly flattened the silver fur that rose along her back and let out a sigh. She wasn't expecting Lucy to break the ice, let alone say anything that wasn't insulting.

"Er…yeah," she responded, looking anywhere but at the saluki, "I got used to not having any at the institution."

"Makes you look like less of a tramp," Lucy coolly responded.

_There _was the missing hostility she was expecting. The remark made the feathers on her wings ruffle. For a moment Sylvia imagined that the grass between her claws was her old rival's dark fur instead. It took a lot to recover from that one unscathed, but the monster managed. With one set of arms retracted (so as not to attract _too_ much attention from the humans), she crossed her forepaws and yawned. The action made her seem like Lucy's remark had not affected her. Said dog gave the wolf an incredulous look.

"You should try it sometime; it'll make that eye of your less grotesque."

Lucy didn't take the stab as gracefully as Sylvia had. Instead she snarled rather nastily, baring fangs at the female beside her. Any louder and she surely would have interrupted the game going on across the field. Angela took notice and looked on worriedly, halfway up from her seat before being pulled back into place by Mary. The four-year-old demanded bubbles, and Angela had promised to comply.

"This _grotesque_ eye of mine is your fault!" Lucy hissed, resuming her half-laying position on the cool grass. Sylvia's ears flattened and she had forgotten why she was here. Now Lucy definitely wasn't going to accept any apology of hers. A sigh escaped her lungs, and the lighter of the two canines rested her muzzle on her paws. Minutes felt like hours as they watched their children play together. Both females felt like the same pole of a magnet being pushed together. Both were also too stubborn to move. Sylvia lifted her head and looked at Lucy, who was now intently watching her children. Following her gaze, she saw Yoshi and Sophie wrestling. It was almost funny, saying as the two had the same number of legs. Yoshi had started gaining the upper hand in their amusing little battle. Unbeknownst to him, Milo planned to ambush his cousin. With only one eye to see how he was going to attack, the runt of his litter kept his slender body low to the ground.

"See the little one there, about to tackle Yoshi?"

Caught up in the moment of watching her children, Sylvia nodded.

"That's Milo. He's my youngest out of this litter. He's not going to grow very big either."

"Why not?" the wolf asked almost lazily while giving Lucy a wary glance, half expecting the mother of four to attack her again. Rather than offensive or angry, the dog's look was remorseful. She watched her son intently, her one good eye becoming glossy.

"I think it's my fault. That fight between me and you…I shouldn't have jumped in. If I didn't then…maybe…maybe he'd be okay."

Either god really did believe that Sylvia could redeem herself, or Lucy was feeling the same way the ex-convict did. Just like she had confided in her nail trimmer, Randall's mate was confiding in her about something. Ears lowering pitifully, Sylvia thought on how to go about it.

"He seems fine to me," she offered weakly.

"He's blind and deaf on the right! That's not okay! He should be able to see and hear with both eyes! If you weren't such a bitch, and I wasn't so angry, maybe he'd still be able to!"

_Now_ the two males across the field noticed. Under the spotlight, and Angela's eyes burning holes in her fur, Sylvia cowered down. This wasn't her fault. What was happening? What did she do wrong? Lucy had let go of the tears she'd been holding. Even with the saltwater spilling down her cheek, the dog was able to look as fierce as ever.

"Maybe if you weren't such a bitch, I'd still have both my eyes! I wouldn't have been kicked out by Mandy. I wouldn't have my heart _repeatedly_ broken by Randall had you not shown up! I wouldn't have…"

Lucy now stood over the wolf in a menacing crouch that reminded her of the previous fight mentioned before. As embarrassing as it was to admit, the petite saluki had beaten her into next month before she even realized it. But that was then, and this was now. Now Sylvia didn't know _what_ to think. She had no idea that coming here again would cause this much trauma. With each part of Lucy's ruined life that was just thrown at her, she cringed and cowered against the tree.

She didn't do anything wrong this time.

But she did _everything_ wrong last time.

The dog was hurt and breaking down in front of her, probably ready to rip the white wolf's throat to shreds. Randall was sprinting across the field to make it to them before either female lashed out. Everything started to slow down. Her blue eyes looked up into the black dog's chocolate ones and for a moment she felt every ounce of grief. Lucy may be able to wake up every day and love her children and mate endlessly. However, just like any other normal person, the dog also had regrets. Just like Sylvia had hers. Lucy's eye caused self-esteem issues that were similar to her own when she didn't wear makeup. She regretted fighting while pregnant just like Sylvia had regretted threatening the unborn lizogs. Though different as night and day, the two were also alike.

Making this realization had time going at normal speeds again. Randall was almost there when Sylvia closed her eyes, took a deep breath and yelled: "_I'M SORRY!_"

This time, everything stopped.

Lucy's muzzle was wide open; she was no doubt in the middle of screaming something else. Randall recovered from his mid-stride freeze and straightened his posture, looking on worriedly. Henkan had gathered the children who cowered behind him, while Yoshiro looked as if he were about to run after his mother. Mary was paying no attention, which meant that Angela was forced to keep playing. The little girl's giggling in the distance was the only sound for upward three breaths.

Scared that she had done something else wrong, the wolf monster pulled the ends of her wings forward and hid behind them.

Nothing happened.

She peered out to still see Lucy, who by now had closed her mouth. Tears had soaked half the fur on her face, so much so that the tears that still flowed were beginning to drip onto the grass. It took Sylvia a moment to realize that they were _listening_. A small part of her wanted to cheer. She had their attention! So now was the time to apologize.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, as if the aspect of finally getting to say so made her breathless, "I shouldn't have done those awful things. But look at you, Lucy! Don't you see why I did them?"

Confused, the saluki looked down at herself, then back up at Sylvia. Unaware of what she was getting at, Randall became more than a little irked. He was about to jump in when a hand pulled him back and stopped him. It was Henkan. His green cousin shook his head and gestured to let his ex continue.

"Wh-what about me?" Lucy stammered.

"I was _jealous_. Look at you! You gave birth to four children, and still look like a model," the wolf continued. She began to circle around the dog in a non-threatening way, gesturing with her muzzle while doing so, "I literally scratched your eye out, and you're _still_ pedigree material.

"Randall looked at you before you two dated in a way he _never_ looked at me; even while we were dating."

Sylvia finished her circle around the saluki, coming to sit in front of her. Lucy started to interrupt, but the wolf cut her off with the raise of one paw.

"You have something I've been looking for my whole life, and you didn't even try. You've got a family, Lucy. And in a roundabout way, it wouldn't have happened without me ruining your life first. But that's no excuse for what I did. I'm sorry, I truly am, and that's why I'm here."

Lucy wasn't given a chance to respond. As soon as she finished with her, Sylvia walked over to Randall. Just like she had with his mate, she sat before him and heaved a sight.

"Randall…" she started, "I'm here to apologize to you too. I shouldn't have threatened your children; they're great kids. Angela looks busy, but will you apologize to her for me too? For… well… everything. And Henkan…"

Something in those blue eyes of hers melted when she turned to him. Henkan's face remained stoic as she addressed him. Her head lowered down past her shoulder blades, forcing herself to look up at her ex. At first she couldn't think of anything to say, for she had already said it to him earlier. However she couldn't sit here like an idiot forever.

"…I'll visit Yoshiro as often as you will allow. I'm sorry for showing up and ruffling some feathers."

With that, Sylvia was done. She wouldn't know if they truly forgave her or not, but she had said sorry like she planned to. The distance between her and Yoshi came to a gradual close as she approached. Her son's tail was wagging so fast his whole rear was moving side to side.

"You be a good boy, okay?" she said, licking the top of his head. Yoshiro was confused.

"Are you leaving?" he asked, his tail coming to a slow and ears beginning to droop. His mother nodded. Dumbfounded at why she would be departing so soon, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"Mommy lives in the monster world," she smiled sweetly at him, "she can't stay here."

Yoshi's eyes began to well up with tears. This wasn't fair; he'd just gotten her back! Her son wore his heart on his sleeve, for she could see what he was feeling. In truth, she wanted to come here and stay, so she could be with him every day. But her presence here had obviously caused more problems than she had expected. It's not right for his family that she had come back and tried to be a part of it. Her lungs deflated in a tired sigh.

"I'm not a good person Yoshiro. I've done some awful things to Uncle Randall and Aunt Lucy. Because of those things, I can't stay. I thought I could, but I can't."

Yoshi didn't nod, nor did he shake his head. He hugged his mother's front leg with tears silently soaking his face. Sylvia licked one of his tear-streaked cheeks and got up, turning to leave. Just as the small breeze died down, her wings spread out on either side of her. She was about to take off. The powerful stroke of her feathered appendages never came.

Sylvia was tackled and pinned down, one set of arms around her neck, another holding her wings in place. Immediately she knew who it was.

"Randall, I'm leaving. I won't hurt anyon-"

"Please stay…"

Okay, maybe she didn't know who it was.

"Henkan?!"

Her emotionless ex had run up behind her and immobilized the wolf. Trying to look back over her shoulder, Sylvia was met with the pleading look in his eyes.

"Yoshi needs you. That's why you came back, not just to apologize. Do you think I'm stupid?"

Henkan released his grip on the silver creature as she got up and shook the dirt off. The look she gave him was half surprised, half annoyed.

"Well…yeah."

* * *

It took some convincing on Henkan's part, and begging on Yoshi's. Eventually they got Sylvia to stay at least a little bit longer. The monster had resumed her spot under the tree beside Lucy. Neither had spoken to one another since Sylvia's apology, but Lucy didn't deny Sylvia the privilege to sit near her either. Randall had resumed playing with the children, as did his cousin. One of the Gibbs pups, named Duncan, had been able to climb onto Henkan's head and nibble on his fronds. The two mothers chortled together at this, though neither sharing the laughter openly. With fronds being a sensitive spot on a _lizog's_ head, Henkan was hurt badly enough from the roughhousing to sit the next game out. Off to the side, he watched the children play the next wrestling match with Randall being the referee. Soren and Sophie were versing each other in this round, and the theme was sumo wrestling.

Of course, it was the most hilarious thing Sylvia had seen all day.

Rather than tears of sadness, Lucy was soaked in saltwater mirth. Practically rolling on her back, the saluki's back leg had kicked one of her ex-rival's wings.

"Sorry," Lucy wheezed between guffaws as she struggled to get into an upright position. The fight was over and of course, Sophie won. Now Duncan and Yoshiro had to wrestle; their theme was karate. It was cute, because neither of them knew what karate was. Their fight was short lived, simply because it turned into a similar wrestle as Sophie and Soren's. The only difference was their own little spin they had put into the sumo wrestling.

Lucy gave Sylvia an apathetic glance and sighed.

"I accept your apology."

"Huh?!"

Avoiding eye contact with the winged wolf, Lucy added, "But that doesn't mean we're like, besties or anything."

It took a second to digest what she had said, but eventually Sylvia nodded. Whatever made slender canine forgive her was beyond the wolf. Even though Lucy spoke up, Sylvia didn't feel like now was the time to question the decision. Instead, she refocused back on the games before them. The children underwent several more wrestling matches uninterrupted; at least before Mandy showed up.

Sylvia had heard several stories of the nasty girl, but had never met her personally. The self-proclaimed superstar was walking and texting with a friend on either side. Not paying attention to where she was going, she crossed the 'floor' of Milo and Soren's wrestling match.

A yelp and a whine later, Mandy was face-down on the ground with a dizzy Milo by her foot. Sylvia snickered out loud. The redheaded girl said something unintelligible into the dirt before lifting her head to look around.

She was surrounded by _lizogs_.

"_Lizard Girl!"_ she bellowed from her spot on the ground. Angela jumped and spun around, not noticing Mandy's arrival until now. The girls on either side of the fallen Mandy giggled, looking at the puppies fondly. Shortly after they forced angered looks on their faces before Superstar could see them.

"Yes, Mandy?" Angela inquired, coming to pick up the pup Mandy tripped over. The girl in question looked as if she were about to barf.

"Did you seriously get _more_ of these ugly things?"

"Well, six of them are mine," Angela started, in a schooling tone that questioned her enemy's intelligence, "and the other two are Mary's."

Mandy's eye twitched. She looked down and _actually_ began counting them. Again, Sylvia snickered, this time a little louder.

"What about that one?" the girl to Mandy's right asked, noticing the wolf due to her hidden laughter.

"That one is this little guy's mom," Angela said, trading Milo for Yoshi off the grass, "She doesn't belong to anyone."

"That little thing is _ugl-_" Mandy was _not _allowed to finish that sentence. Suddenly next to her was the white wolf in question, her wings spread out threateningly. Her muzzle was a distorted mess of anger that revealed sharp teeth capable of stripping flesh in seconds. Mandy's friends became frozen in fear, while the queen bee herself simply hesitated.

"You probably shouldn't have said that," Angela said from behind Sylvia.

"Call off your _monster_, freak!" Mandy demanded, leaning away from the threat. The tweenie's voice only seemed to make the wolf's pupils constrict in anger.

"Back..._off_."

Those two words alone, out of the mouth of a monster, had sent the girls reeling. First her friends, then Mandy, had taken off in a screaming, blubbering mess. Sylvia soon remembered that animals didn't usually _talk_ to humans. Looks like Mandy's going to be paranoid about the squirrels in her front yard for a while. Giving one last huff in the smart-ass's direction, her wings folded back down and Yoshi's mother was now calm again. As soon as she returned to her spot under the shade, the saluki still in place gave her a warm smile.

"That earned you a few points."

"_That's _your owner?"

"Not anymore," Lucy sang.

The children had resumed their games, this time Mary joining in with them. At one point, Mary was riding on Henkan like he was a horse. While he was busy, Randall had the children in a huddle around him, head low to the ground and speaking with his hands. He was planning something; both females could tell.

"This doesn't look good," Lucy murmured. Sylvia made a sound of agreement.

Henkan had just put Mary down so he could relax the muscles on his back. He looked around for everyone else, but saw no sign of Randall or the kids. Confused, the lizog turned back towards Mary.

"_CHARGE!_" the smallest of the lizog pups screamed, coming seemingly out of nowhere. He was followed by the rest of his kin except for Randall, who appeared by a tree. Henkan was suddenly covered in tiny bodies. Blindly trying to stay on four feet, Randall's cousin looked like a person made out of puppies. The purple and blue lizog was off to the side, rolling in the grass while laughing. He wiped away his tears of mirth just in time to see Henkan finally fall over onto the ground.

"Dog pile!" he yelled, jumping in on top of his cousin. Sylvia and Lucy were both barely breathing. Mary was close by, also watching. It was then she finally noticed the other white doggie that had joined them hours ago.

"Puppy!" she cheered, running up to meet her new acquaintance. Sylvia noticed the child running in her direction and panicked. She had no idea how to handle human children! Lucy took notice and tried to intercept the child before she reached the wolf. The saluki was a few seconds too late. Mary tripped on her shoelace and began to fall just inches away from her destination. Sylvia instinctively stuck her head forward. The four-year-old landed on the wolf's muzzle. For one breathless moment, she looked into the human girl's large chocolate eyes. Then Mary broke out into a laughing fit.

"Puppy!" she repeated, running small, pudgy hands through Sylvia's fur. She couldn't help it. A warm smile crossed the white wolf's mouth. Lucy watched on in stunned silence as well, then coughed away the awkwardness and introduced them.

"Sylvia, this is Mary. She's Angela's little cousin, and Henkan's owner."

"Well hi there, Mary," Sylvia said, slightly stunned. Mary laughed again, got up and clapped.

"Puppy can talk! Puppy can talk!"

"Yes… yes I can," she warmly smiled at the child. The ex-criminal shared a smile with Lucy. Angela had come over to sit next to them, and began making dandelion bracelets with Mary.

Sylvia Schneider had never been one for forgiveness. The thought of forgiving and even apologizing used to make her nauseous. Memories of her time in the asylum had the wolf-monster thinking in amazement. Even though everything that had been done to her was fair game, forgiving them alleviated so much frustration and anger. Forgiving them had also made it easier to forgive herself. She had come a long way, and yet Sylvia still had a million miles before she totally redeemed her actions. But this…this was a good start.

* * *

_**A/N: **So there you have it. The reason _MH_ inspired me so, was simply because the idea of _Sylvia_ becoming good again was really interesting. I mean, everyone LOVES a good villain and in _APM_ she's a great one. So what could possibly happen that would make her want to change? I feel like some spots moved a little quickly but I couldn't stop until it was out. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Reviews are welcomed!_


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